Toy picture



(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

l LIE U I- Clrwjmjler.

his uflzzorney.

N. PETERS, Plwlo-Ulfiognphur. Washington. 0,0.

CYRUS HELLER, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY PICTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 390,966, dated October 9, 1888.

Application filed February 27, 1588.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS HELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Villiamsport, in the county of Lyconiing and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys or Combined Toy and Picture; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horse (this animal only being used as a type or for illustration) as drawn or photographed or otherwise made to form the basis on which the present toy picture is made. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the animal represented in Fig. 1, which has been cut out, its feet set apart, and standing upright upon its feet. Fig. 3 shows the invention applied to pictures of soldiers, illustrating the use of the invention with twolegged creatures.

The present invention is an improvement in card or paper toys. Toy pictures of this kind are manufactured and sold now; but they are imperfect, from the fact that it is impossible to cut them out entirely from groundwork or background, as this background is necessary to make them retain the necessary perspective in which the said objects are drawn and printed. It is also necessary to fold or crease the card-board or to attach an extra piece to the back of the object, that will extend to the surface upon which it is placed, to serve as a prop in order to make the object maintain an upright position, or, in other words, make it stand up. This latter feature--the ability to stand upright-isa very necessary one, and is the distinguishing feature of the present invention.

The present improvement is designed to overcome these objectionable features and impart to any object it is desired to represent the ability to stand upright,and at the same time to allow it to be cut clear from all groundwork, and yet not offend the eye in the final result by Violating the laws of the perspective.

In Fig. lisshown an outline drawing of a horse made on"eard-board or any suitable paper or other material. The laws of perspective demand that the two feet of this object surface without density.

Serial No. 205,351. (No model.)

that are the farthest from the eye (marked 0 0) should rest on or about the line B, as is designated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,while those nearest the eye (marked D D) should rest,as they are drawn in the example, on the line A. ture were to be made; but it would be found, if, when an object or animal was drawn in this described manner and cut out, an endeavor were made to cause it to stand by itself upon its four feet, the experiment would fail, for the simple reason that the structure would not admit of it, and in case of an animal the legs C 0 would be shorter than those marked D D. In order. now, to overcome this defect, the base parts, or all four feet, are made to rest upon the line A, Fig. 1. In doing this the law of perspective is violated so far as making a simple picture; but as it is designed now to produce not only a picture, but a picture and toy combined,or, rather to make a toy out ofa picture, it is necessary to do so, because the final result, as will be seen, will again restore to the object the proper relation of its parts, which have been thus disturbed.

In Fig. 2 isrepresented a shaded drawing of the same animal cut out. By spreading the legs apart about half an inch I am enabled to make this stand upright without any supports of any kind. All the feet do not now remain at the same distance fromthe eye as they did in the flat picture, but stand now in the same relation to each other and to the eye as those of the animal would which it represents. I find, too, now that I do not need the perspective which a flat picture would require, as I have removed it from the relations of a flat To prove now that the laws of perspective are not violated and that I have obtained in the end that which I rejected in the beginning, it would be only necessary to have a photograph or drawing, as in Fig. 2, taken of the completed device while standing, for the photograph or drawing would place the feet 0 O farthest from the eye back again to the place they should occupy in a mere picture.

Whilc I have illustrated my present invention by a horse, I wish it understood that this animal is only used for illustration, as

it will be obvious from my explanation that This is all right if an ordinary pic this invention is adapted for a wide variety of uses in the manufacture of toys which are too obvious to need any enumeration in detail. In some instances where there may not be legs so adapted as in the present illustration to be set apart, a line or lines may be cut at proper places in the material of which the device is made, on which it may be bent so as to secure the needed perspective in the object represented and at the same time secure the needed means of support. This adaptation ofthe invention is indicated in Fig. 3by a soldier, E, his musket or rifle a being adapted to form the brace or support. For a bird a plant might be used; and thus, through the range of creatures standing on two legs, it would require merely mechanical adaptation to pro vide,according to the explanation given above, for the support and at the same time cause the creature to have a perfectly natural aspect and posture.

Whiiel have above used the term drawing, it is my purpose to produce the figure or object designed for the toy or combined picture and toy in any convenient or easy or desirable way, as by painting, photographing, or lithographing, and I may use paper, cardboard, thin pieeesof wood, pasteboard, thickened muslin, or any substance or material that will answer the obviously necessary conditions of the case.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A toy picture made of card-board or stiffened cloth or thin piece of wood, having the shape of an animal or other object shown on a common base-line, and adapted by the movement of certain parts of its material upon which a portion of the picture is made to form a suitable support for the object, and at the same time give the proper perspective for all the parts.

2. The toy picture herein described, consisting of an animal or other object represented on a plane surface and having a support integ' ral with it, whereby without folding or creasing it can be made to stand alone.

3. A toy picture representing a human figure, animal, or like object, consisting of a single sheet having the picture or print on one or both sides and the object drawn and printed, u

as deseribed,and adapted for operation so that when it is cut out it will be capable by bending of standing alone without folding and without attached supports and at the same time securing the desired perspective effect.

4. The within-described process of making toy pictures, consisting in representing the contour or shape of an object on a plane surface of card-board or other suitable material, the base support or supports of said object being of proper length to touch one common base-line,and shadingsaid object so as to bring it out properly, whereby is produced a toy picture which, by cutting and bending a por tion of said cardboard or other material and without folding or creasing, can stand alone.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS HELLER. YVitnesses:

J NO. F. LAE'DLEIN, J. T. FREDERICKS. 

